“French Onion Soup” Tarte Flambée Pizza with Homemade “French Onion Soup” Onion Marmalade, Roasted Garlic Crème Fraiche, + Bacon

We have been on a French Onion Soup kick lately... we recently made a bacon infused recipe and also a casserole... and now a PIZZA! The idea quite frankly translates perfectly. The pizza dough mimics the crusty bread plopped on top of the soup, then there's that melt-y cheese you can't get enough of, and ohhhhh those caramelized onions. It all works, y'all. But my delicious twist on this dish is the "French Onion Soup" Onion Marmalade. This stuff is so gosh-damn-amazing, you'll be sneaking spoonfuls into your mouth as it is cooling (take my word for it). Not only is it caramelized onions, but it is reduced down with beef stock, red wine, cognac, sugar, white balsamic reduction, herbs, and butter. This marmalade is sticky, gooey, and utterly concentrated with French Onion Soup flavor! Another different direction I went in was making a "Tarte Flambée" style pizza. This uses a key ingredient of creme fraiche as the base of the pizza. I boosted the flavor with roasted garlic, minced garlic, and freshly grated nutmeg. It gives this pie a luscious cream that oozes out with each bite into that chewy crust and it cannot be beat! On top goes a whole mound of mozzarella, gruyere, and parmesan cheese and slices of extra crispy pieces of bacon. What gets better than that? All you have to do is finish it with some fleur de sel, fresh cracked pepper, red pepper flakes, and minced fresh herbs. This pizza is addictive, I kept wanting more + more every bite I took. It was astounding to me, how could something taste this good. Every culinary level is reached, hell, pizza greatness was reached. I can't say it more, but I'd take this pizza over French Onion Soup any day!! Enjoy :)

For the “French Onion Soup” Onion Marmalade:

3 Yellow Onions, Thinly Sliced

Kosher Salt

¼C Unsalted Butter

¾C Beef Stock + Splash of Red Wine

2-3T White Balsamic Reduction

1C Sugar

1T Cognac

2 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme + 2 Dried Bay Leaves

Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste 

For the Roasted Garlic Crème Fraiche:

8oz Crème Fraiche

1 Head of Roasted Garlic

¼t Freshly Grated Nutmeg

Kosher Salt + Fresh Cracked Pepper, To Taste

1 Garlic Clove, Minced

For the “French Onion Soup” Tarte Flambé Pizza:

1 Batch of Pizza Dough

Prepared Roasted Garlic Crème Fraiche

Prepared “French Onion Soup” Onion Marmalade, Cooled

8-10 Slices of Applewood Smoked Bacon, Cooked until Crispy + Cut into 1-2inch Pieces

½C Shredded Mozzarella + ½C Shredded Gruyere

Freshly Grated Parmesan

½t Fresh Thyme + Dried Red Pepper Flakes

Fleur de Sel + Fresh Cracked Pepper, For Sprinkling

Directions:

1. For the “French Onion Soup” Onion Marmalade: In a large pot, heat the butter until shimmering. Add the onions (and a heavy pinch of a salt) and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add in the herbs and cook over low heat, stirring a few times until fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle the sugar over the onions and cook, without stirring, until the sugar melts, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to high and cook until an amber brown caramel forms, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in the beef stock, red wine, cognac, and white balsamic vinegar reduction. Cook and stir until the jam is thick about 10-15 minutes. Discard the herbs and season the jam with salt and pepper until you have reached your desired taste. Let it cool completely.

2. For the Roasted Garlic Crème Fraiche: Combine the Crème Fraiche, mashed roasted garlic, grated nutmeg, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Set it aside.

3. Preheat your oven to 550 degrees and place your pizza stone inside and allow it to heat in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour.

4. For the French Onion Soup Pizza: Create a 12inch round of dough on a semolina dusted pizza peel and spread the roasted garlic crème fraiche over the top. Lay a thick layer of the onion marmalade on top, followed by scattering the mozzarella and Gruyere cheeses. Put a little more marmalade and then place the pieces of bacon next. Grate the Parmesan all over the surface of the pizza and garnish the top with fresh thyme and a sprinkle of salt & pepper. Slide the pizza onto the pizza stone and bake for 12-15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted and begun to caramelize. Remove from the oven and cut into slices, and serve immediately! 

Bacon Infused + Slowly Caramelized French Onion Soup with Bacon Fat Sourdough Toast, Gruyere Cheese, Aged Cheddar Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, & Bacon Lardons

It's funny how something as simple as soup, can be exactly what you need on a crummy day. We usually make a pot every Sunday because it seems to have a calming effect on all of us. It's so comforting, simple yet complex, and it's something that the longer it cooks, the better it tastes. That is certainly the case when it comes to this recipe, my Bacon Infused + Slowly Caramelized French Onion Soup with Bacon Fat Sourdough Toast, Gruyere Cheese, Aged Cheddar Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, & Bacon Lardons. Who doesn't love caramelized onions? Everyone has to. The process of caramelizing the onions takes a loooooong time... like 3-4 hours long. But that's okay, it's not super high maintenance besides occasionally stirring it, so that the onions caramelize evenly. And like any good Southerner would do... I added a shit ton of bacon essence to it. Yep, I started by crisping up some bacon lardons, and then removing them to a separate bowl before I caramelized the onions in the rendered bacon fat. After the hours + hours of cooking the onions low + slow, you will find a pot of a gold. The pure gold is certainly something that has been handed down to us by the gods.

After the onions were done, I added all the yummy liquids... cognac, balsamic vinegar, red wine, beef stock, and water. Once they've gone through a good simmer and the flavors have begun to meld, make sure to season to taste with some salt, pepper, sugar, and even some more wine if you like. The part of French Onion Soup that everyone loves is the bread + the melty cheese. I took this component over the top by frying some slices of sourdough bread in bacon fat until they got golden brown + toasty. This bacon-fat-infused bread is plopped on the surface of the soup before a mixture of gruyere, aged cheddar, and parmesan is piled on top. Just pop the bowls into the oven and broil the heck out of it until the cheese is melted and nicely browned. All you have left to do is garnish with some crispy bacon lardons and fresh herbs, and you will be one happy girl/boy!! Enjoy :)

For the French Onion Soup:

1T Unsalted Butter

½lb Thick Cut Applewood Smoked Bacon, Cut into Lardons (reserve the rendered fat)

6-8lbs Yellow Onions, Thinly Sliced

¼C Sugar (plus a little extra to sweeten the soup if needed)

Smoked Fleur de Sel + Fresh Cracked Pepper

2 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme

1/3C Cognac (sherry may be substituted)

1-2T Aged Balsamic Vinegar (optional)

1C Red Wine

4C Unsalted Beef Stock (preferably homemade, but store-bought is fine)

1C Water

Slices of Sourdough Bread (make sure it is able to fit inside the bowl)

Rendered Bacon Fat, For Frying the Bread

½lb Gruyere Cheese, Grated

½lb Aged Cheddar Cheese, Grated

Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese (to top the other cheeses)

Crispy Bacon Lardons, For Garnishing (made crispy in the first step)

Fresh Parsley or Chives, Minced (for garnishing)

Directions:

1. Beginning the Soup: Use a large soup pot that will hold all of the onions and liquid. Place the pot over medium heat and melt the 1T of butter. Add the bacon lardons and cook until the bacon has rendered all of its fat and it is crispy. Strain the bacon from the pot into a small bowl and set it aside until the soup is finished. Add all of the thinly sliced onions; sprinkle them with 2t smoked fleur de sel, some fresh cracked pepper, and the sugar. Stir to combine. Cover and cook until the onions have heated through and started to steam, about 30-45 minutes. 

2. Caramelizing the Onions: Uncover the pot, reduce the heat to low, add in the fresh thyme, and cook, stirring continuously (you should be able to leave the onions alone for an hour once they’ve released their water). I kept cooking my onions for at least 3-4 hours, low + slow until they reach a deep, dark golden brown.

3. Making the Bacon Fat Fried Sourdough Slices: In a sauté pan, over medium heat, melt some bacon fat and fry the slices of sourdough bread until they are golden brown and toasty. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Place the slices of fried bread onto a baking sheet and keep them warm until you are ready to top the soup with them.

4. Finishing the Soup: When the onions have completely cooked down and all their liquid had cooked out, add in the cognac, balsamic, red wine, beef stock, and water. Raise the heat to high and bring the soup to a simmer, and then reduce the heat to low. Taste and season with smoked fleur de sel, fresh cracked pepper, and some sugar if needed. If the soup is too sweet, you can add an extra tablespoon of balsamic. If you want the soup to have more depth, add a little more red wine (shhh, no one has to know).

5. Serving the Soup: Preheat the broiler of your oven. Portion the soup into the bowls, top with a bacon fat fried slice of sourdough bread, cover with a handful of gruyere cheese and a handful of aged cheddar cheese, and finish with a mound of freshly grated parmesan. Broil until the cheese is melted and nicely browned. Garnish the top with crispy bacon lardons and minced herbs. Serve immediately.  

Soup Sunday: Caprese Soup with Sherried Tomato-Basil Base, Crispy Toast Rounds, Pesto, Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella, Shaved Parmesan, + Basil Chiffonade

Soup Sunday: Caprese Soup with Sherried-Tomato Basil Base, Crispy Toast Rounds, Pesto,
Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella, Shaved Parmesan, + Basil Chiffonade

Hi y'all, we just rolled back into town from a short little trip to Birmingham + Tuscaloosa!! So, I'm posting kinda late, SORRY. We ended up taking the weekend to visit my Mountain Man's family and also to attend the Alabama-Tennessee Football Game. Oh how I love it there, it really doesn't get much better than "Title Town", y'all. Here are some pictures from the festivities...

On another short + exciting note... Saturday was exactly one year/365 days until the PLC Wedding, yippee!! WE CAN'T FREAKIN' WAIT :)

Okay, now I have shared plentyyyyyyy of our weekend. Onto Soup Sunday. This Sherried Tomato-Basil soup has been featured many'a'times on my blog. It's a classic. It's delicious. It's comforting. Make it, make it all the time. But then, go a little crazy and do it up Caprese-style. Plop some crispy rounds of toasted bread, a schmear of homemade pesto, thick slices of creamy buffalo mozzarella, + shaved parmesan. Torch the crap outta it or place it under the broiler until the browns and gets melty-gooey. Garnish it with fresh chiffonade basil and a drizzle of balsamic reduction. Y'all, this shit is so good. Like french onion soup, but a million times better. Best Soup Sunday everrrrr!! Enjoy :)

For the Soup:

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Melted

1 Medium Sweet Onion, Sliced & Cooked until Caramelized

4 Garlic Cloves, Finely Minced

28oz San Marzano Tomato Puree

28oz Cans of Whole, Peeled San Marzano Tomatoes

3T Tomato Paste

1C Slow Roasted Tomato Puree or Homemade Slow Roasted Heirloom Tomato Jam

1T Homemade Pesto

4C Chicken Stock

3-6T Sugar (depending on how sweet you want it)

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

¼t Dried Oregano & Red Pepper Flakes (or a little less for not as spicy soup)

1C Cooking Sherry

1 ½C Heavy Cream (or Half & Half can be substituted, Soy Milk for a healthier recipe)

For the Caprese Soup:

Crispy Toast Rounds (one baguette, cut into rounds, brush with EVOO, & bake till crisp)

Homemade Basil Pesto, For Spreading the Crispy Toast Rounds

Extra Creamy Buffalo Mozzarella, Cut into Slices

Grated Parmesan, For Topping

Balsamic Reduction, For Drizzling

Basil Chiffonade, For Garnishing

Fresh Cracked Pepper, For Sprinkling

Directions:

1. For the Soup: Caramelize the sliced onions in the butter and a sprinkle of salt over medium-high heat until golden brown and beautifully caramelized, about 15-20 minutes. Toss in the garlic and sauté for a couple minutes until it is fragrant. Add the whole tomatoes, San Marzano tomato puree, tomato paste, slow roasted tomato puree/slow roasted heirloom tomato jam, homemade pesto, chicken stock, sugar, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Bring the pot to a near boil, and then cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add in the basil and cook on low-medium heat for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth and creamy (do this off the heat). Next, add in the sherry and heavy cream (or choice of milk) and stir. Keep warm until you are ready to eat.

2. Preheat your oven to the broiler or about 500 degrees. You want it extra hot to melt and brown the cheese on top.

3. Assembling the Caprese Soup: Ladle the prepared Sherried Tomato Basil Soup into an over-safe soul bowl. Spread two crispy toast rounds with a generous spoonful of homemade pesto and plop into the top of the soup bowl. Lay the creamy mozzarella slices on top and freshly grate some Parmesan over the mozzarella. Place the bowl onto a baking sheet and put it into your preheated oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes (depending on the heat of your oven, but keep an out so it doesn’t burn either). After it has perfectly melted and toasted slightly, remove it from the oven. Drizzle the top of the soup with some balsamic reduction, and then finish garnishing with fresh cracked pepper and a mound of basil chiffonade.

4. Enjoy it while it is still hot & gooey and the bread is still crisp, not soggy!